Baltimore rapper LonnieDaGoat remembered at candlelight vigil
BALTIMORE -- The Cherry Hill community held a candlelight vigil for local rapper LonnieDaGoat on Saturday.
The 24-year-old man—whose given name is Delon Bushrod Jr.—was found dead in South Baltimore on Wednesday morning.
First responders discovered his body lying between two row homes off of Bookert Drive—a spot that's a popular shortcut.
People who live on Bookert Drive say they heard a single gunshot the night before Lonnie's body was discovered.
LonnieDaGoat had a large following, netting him millions of views of his YouTube channel, which showcased his music.
Over 100 people attended his candlelight vigil on Saturday evening. It was a sad event that featured his music. But the people who showed up to say goodbye also celebrated his life by dancing to his music and singing his lyrics.
Videos on social media showed him visiting and performing at Baltimore schools. In one post he said that's what motivated him and it's "only right to be a positive image to the youth."
His loved ones say that he will live on through his music.
"He wanted to make sure the music spoke for who he was and he made sure every time he sat in that studio—he made sure he put his heart in every song," Lonnie's uncle said.
His mother, Kia Bushrod, is singing her son's songs to honor his memory.
Bushrod said Lonnie was her only son.
"I talked to my son every single day," she told WJZ earlier this week. "It's just going to feel crazy not speaking to him at all."
Darlene Johnson, Lonnie's grandmother, said it was important to her family to keep his music going. She said she'll continue to play his songs so that his spirit lives on.
"Hearing it now that he's not here is very devastatingo," Johnson said.
Funeral arrangements have been made for Lonnie for next week.
There will be a viewing from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. on Sept. 30 at Walker's Life Memorial Center, which is located at 237 E. Patapsco Avenue.
His wake and funeral will take place on Oct. 1. The wake is scheduled for 10:30 a.m. and the funeral is slated for 11 a.m.
Lonnie will be buried at King's Memorial Park.